Dean’s friend got me to the bus stop in good time yesterday. I would never have found it in a million years. Online it says near the Golden Lily hotel. Well, it is outside a hotel but the frontage displays not a word of English so I have no idea what it is called. I could be forgiven for expecting to see an image of a golden lily somewhere as their logo, though? No, instead there is a huge RED thing that looks suspiciously like a red maple leaf! The good thing is that next time I can point a taxi driver in the right direction.
With plenty of time at the airport, I tarried outside for a while to have a smoke and then went in to dispose of my case. Sometimes it’s nice to be 1st class - no queues at the check-in counter and straight through the dedicated security channel. So far so good. My case hadn’t been flagged and my little hand luggage bag had nothing of note in it so I should just breeze through.
Nope. My bag set off alarms! I knew full well nothing suspicious or prohibited was in it so was irked at for once not getting through unimpeded. The suspicious item? My compact digital camera. Christ.
I headed straight for the first class lounge and was promptly ejected. Slightly embarrassed at this public humiliation, I asked for a reason but they never spoke English. China Eastern were going to hear about this! Until that is, I went outside and read all the airlines the lounge served. China Eastern was not on the sign. Wrong lounge!
Eventually I found the correct one, the girl took my pass and then with a smile informed me my flight was about an hour delayed. Having only just looked at the flight information board out in the terminal, I asserted that it was showing as on time. “My computer is more modern” she said. True enough, the flight was eventually late taking off by 45 minutes and even right up until I boarded at 1425 the terminal signs were still stating it would take off at 1355!
The woman at the gate for the shuttle bus to the plane never told me the small minibus behind the main one was for 1st class passengers so, rather than risk being taken to the wrong flight, I got on the cattle truck and was left fuming when the little one disgorged my fellow luxury travellers and allowed them on before our doors were opened. I did get the distinction of being the last on the plane.
In the air I was asked if I wanted a drink. Well I never paid 600y just for a bigger seat so I asked what they had that was alcoholic. “Orange juice, apple juice, tea, coffee, etc etc” No, alcoholic - like wine? We don’t have wine. What? First Class and no wine?? “We have beer” That will do. It had to.
These seat back screens for films are usually a mystery to me, with instructions only in Chinese all I ever end up seeing are short trailers for films, I can never get to see the whole film, just the next trailer. Therefore I never bother. This time though I discovered Do Di Ju on it and even managed to work out how to play it. The time passed rapidly after that.
Alice met me at the airport and after taking a shuttle bus (30y for a 90 minute ride) and a Didi (Uber) car to the hotel, we checked in. By now the executive lounge was open and after the complimentary welcome drink, I wanted to make maximum use of the time to ravage the free spirits in the lounge - and Alice wanted food.
No breakfast they said. Oh no, definitely breakfast, evening snacks and drinks in the lounge are included! Sorry, no. Look, this is the third time I have stayed here and always breakfast is included with executive rooms. A male trainee stood there shaking his head and saying no. Nothing, but nothing, is more guaranteed to enrage me than when I know I am right and someone effectively calls me a liar. It’s on your bloody website! With the clock ticking I paid the asking price to include breakfast, vowing that once in my room I would check the site and duly report back with either an apology or righteous indignation. A kernel of doubt was in my mind because previously I have booked via Ctrip and this time direct with IHG. Maybe I was wrong.
The snacks in the lounge? Biscuits! Normally there are rice, noodles, chicken etc but biscuits! I told Alice I would get room service later, a club sandwich or something, then proceeded to help myself to copious quantities of Stolichnaya and tonic. The day had taken its toll on me and we left for the room before the free drinks ceased. Once I had summoned various IT geeks to sort the internet, the first thing I did was look up the terms of the room on the IHG site. Alice took a picture of my proof for when the naysayers come back on duty later. I will enjoy that.
We were both hungry by breakfast (Alice declined room service) and she, judging by the 5kg of food she packed away, was about ten times as hungry as me. She also became excited when I said I had no intention of leaving the hotel all day but she could sightsee if she liked or perhaps swim in the pool or work out in the gym. Pool? Gym? Ohhhhh……I have no trainers or costume.
She is currently out now shopping to rectify the deficiency, the decision was precipitated when I informed her there are also a gym and pool in Shenyang. I shall ask for swimming lessons for her, she wants to learn.
Tonight a girlfriend of hers is taking her out to dinner, Vivian is coming to the hotel to visit me. It will be an unearthly start in the morning, the swiftest breakfast as is possible at 0600 when service starts, followed by a car to the airport for an 0905 flight.
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